Rating: 
Summary: Fast paced, an excellent thriller.
Review: A must see if you like fast paced movies. The scenery is out of this world. Gene is supurb!
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Gene.
Review: An otherwise run of the mill thriller is made into something rather special,courtesy of an excellent performance from Gene Hackman.A simple plot outline sees Gene as a District Attorney who takes it upon himself to protect a murder witness (Anne Archer) and escort her to safety,to testify agianst the mobsters responsible.The Couple decide to board on a train,soon to discover that a pair of professional killers are stalking them.Some good Cinematography,great plot twist's and action scenes,and Gene's performance make this a very entertaining film. Artisan have transferred this film to DVD in it's original aspect ratio of 2.35:1,which is enhanced for 16x9 T.V.'s.The transfer is very good throughout,edge enhancement is evident,as is the occasional grainy scene,but this never distracts.The sound quality on this DVD is 2.0 Channel Dolby Surround.It is very clear,defined,and has no hissing,drop-out/background noise,or distortion related problems.This disc has only one Theatrical trailer as an extra,plus some production notes and cast and crew information.Overall,because this disc was so cheap,the lack of extras was somewhat inevitable,but, it's a very good film,the picture quality is better than average,so it was well worth the price.A must for any Gene Hackman fan.
Rating:
Summary: Within The Margin Of Error
Review: At first glance, Narrow Margin sounds like a modest thiller, with a rather generic premise. After watching the film though, I realized that, it's actually better than its plot suggests. L.A. District Attorney Robert Caufield (Gene Hackman) must find unwilling murder witness Carol Hunnicu (Anne Archer), who fled to Canada, and bring her back to the United States to testify against a top-level mob boss. Locating and convincing her to return are the least of Caufield's problems. The pair is sent scrambling as they attempt to escape two deadly hitmen sent to silence her. Soon, they decide to board a Vancouver-bound train, only to find that the assassins are also on board the train. For the next 20 hours, as the train makes its way across the isolated Canadian wilderness, it becomes a game of cat and mouse, in which their ability to tell a friend from foe becomes a matter of life and death. Peter Hyams has spent some time over his career, directing thrillers, some good, like Outland and some that are pretty bad, like The Presidio.Here though, having Hackman along somehow elevates the film, as he presents a believable character that really helps to sell the idea. After causing a stir with Fatal Attraction, Archer contines to walk that fine line between being vulnerable and a certain strenth that she wears quite well. The film's last act is pretty exciting and filled with some truly tense moments. Hyams keeps a brisk pace to the movie and that also viewers avoid a few of the script's problems as well. The DVD is pretty much bare bones when it comes to the bonus material. The theatrical trailer, a few production notes, and some cast & crew information is all you get. The lack of any substantaial extras is very much in keeping with most of Hyams's films (if not all) as presented on DVD. Extras and a few script issues aside, Narrow Margin, is still very much worth a look. Recommended
Rating:
Summary: Excellent suspense - one of my all-time favorites
Review: Gene Hackman and Anne Archer keeps you on the edge of suspense in this thriller. It's one of my all-time favorites. I've watched this over and over again. A must-see!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent suspense - one of my all-time favorites
Review: Gene Hackman and Anne Archer keeps you on the edge of suspense in this thriller. It's one of my all-time favorites. I've watched this over and over again. A must-see!
Rating: 
Summary: Gene Rocks!!!
Review: Gene Hackman is surely one of the greatest living actors. Even in a film like Narrow Margin, Hackman rises above the material. The Plot - Woman sees murder, Woman flees. Hackman tracks her down and must bring her back to testify. The Twist is it all takes place on a train. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Hackmans character is a tough guy in the best sense of the word, not like a Stallone or a Swartzenegger character. We see and Feel Hackmans pain. Anne Archer is also fine as the Woman in question. Also with J.T and M.Emmett Walsh,And James B Seking. The Dvd has no extras but for the price it's not bad.
Rating:
Summary: Gene Rocks!!!
Review: Gene Hackman is surely one of the greatest living actors. Even in a film like Narrow Margin, Hackman rises above the material. The Plot - Woman sees murder, Woman flees. Hackman tracks her down and must bring her back to testify. The Twist is it all takes place on a train. The tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Hackmans character is a tough guy in the best sense of the word, not like a Stallone or a Swartzenegger character. We see and Feel Hackmans pain. Anne Archer is also fine as the Woman in question. Also with J.T and M.Emmett Walsh,And James B Seking. The Dvd has no extras but for the price it's not bad.
Rating:
Summary: More Suspense Please.
Review: I was diapointed. I was expecting more of a Fugitive or Enemy of the State kind of movie. My 17 and 14 year old sons didn't finish watching with me because they thought it was to boring.
The first part with the mountain cabin and helicopter chase was good. Once they were on the train it fizzled out.
Rating:
Summary: MISSED BEING A CLASSIC BY A "NARROW MARGIN" INDEED
Review: If it weren't for the rushed ending, this movie'd be listed high up there with LA Confidential and Fugitive in terms of an action packed thriller. And for good reason -- it's lean, crisp, and nail-biting suspense. The original movie, a 1952 noir with the same name, had a stunning Charles McGraw cameo as well, but I am one of those who don't usually drool over B&W prints. This new version has some mild adjustments, e.g., the rail trip that makes the movie is now based entirely on a Canadian train ride. In that, the claustrophobic train interior is contrasted very well with the wide open Canadian wilderness. The cinematography and the screenplay are immaculate. Gene Hackman is riveting. Tension is built through a series of one-on-one confrontations, each with electric undercurrents. The best by far is the gentlemanly chat between Hackman and James Sikking (one of the villians also aboard the same train) in the dining car. What does the movie in, and leaves you with a lame parting shot is the super-quick ending. After the whole breathless action-packed rigmarole of getting a witness to LA, the case indicting a mafia boss happens all too soon to give a fitting closure. But don't let this stop you if you're into suspense films. Great thriller!
Rating:
Summary: Some suspense, some action, and Hackman...
Review: Narrow Margin is a suspense film with just enough action to draw you in and just enough plot twists to keep you off balance. It even bears a second viewing, mostly on the considerable strength of Hackman as a cranky Assistant D.A. (backed up by James Sikking as an unflappable hit man and M. Emmet Walsh as a street-wise detective). The script would have benefited from some more polishing. Although it has a number of good moments, the continuity between scenes is uneven. Perhaps that's intended to build suspense, but it comes across as if Hyams wasn't sure how to segue to the next scene. In a similar vein, some of the scenes between Hackman and Archer come across more as duelling monologues than as conversations; the two of them don't really seem to connect with (or even listen to) each other. Again, if that's intended as a deeper comment on the relationship between the two characters, it doesn't work. I wish Archer's character could have been more developed. At one point it seems as if her love for her son will motivate her to take a more active role in resolving her predicament; unfortunately, the script doesn't let her rise above being panic-stricken baggage for Hackman to drag around. Archer does about as much as anyone could with the material, but there isn't much depth. High cinematic art? No, but you'll get a couple of entertaining hours from Narrow Margin. Hey--we bought a copy. Warning: our copy of the Avid edition was not viewable.
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